Lean on Me
by Epyon Zero
Summary: The death of someone close to them forces Shinji and Asuka to come together.


Disclaimer: I don't own Eva, the show _unfortunately_ belongs to Gainax. Don't sue me unless you really need the 35 cents that I have in my name. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Lean on Me 

  
  


By: Epyon Zero 

  
  
  
  


It was not the sort of day that one envisioned for a funeral. When people think of funerals they expect that the day will be overcast and grey as if the Earth senses the loss of those who inhabit it and drops a blanket to shield their grief and loss from the rest of creation. Today however, this was not to be the case for those who gathered to mourn the passing of Misato Katsuragi. The sun was high in the cloudless sky as it shone amber light upon the small knot of people gathered in front plain black marker that now rested in the NERV section of the Tokyo-3 cemetery. 

  
  


For the people there it really didn't matter to _them_ what the weather was like. What did matter was that their, friend, guardian, and lover was departed from this Earth long before her time. The purple haired woman had died in the line of duty, protecting the city from the last Angel that had attacked. The entire party was composed of her co-workers from NERV, both of the Commanders, the bridge staff, Dr. Ritsuko Agaki, Kaji Ryouji- Misato's on again off again beau- and the Children. Also in attendance was Misato's warm water penguin Pen-Pen, who although just a bird, seemed to somehow realize that his mistress wasn't coming back. 

  
  


The service itself had been very short, as neither Misato or any of those in attendance had any belief in organized religion, it mostly consisted of those who were willing, and able, to say a few words about the deceased. The one thing that was at all strange about the service was not who _was_ crying, but rather who _wasn't_. Although neither of the Commanders shed any tears, that was expected, though Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki did look mournful. Also to be expected was the lack of emotive display from the First Child Rei Ayanami, who drank the entire proceeding in through her crimson eyes. What surprised everyone was that Shinji Ikari, the Third Child and emotionally fragile pilot of Evangelion Unit 01 hadn't she a single tear the entire time. He'd sat there like a stone faced sentinel, disturbing everyone with how much he resembled his father. 

  
  


When the service was over all of the mourners departed in little groups of one, twos, and threes. The first to leave were Commander Ikari and Rei, they were soon followed by Fuyutsuki and the bridge crew, leaving only Kaji, Ritsuko, Shinji and Asuka behind. After a few tense seconds Kaji placed both of his arms around the two Children and murmured "Lets go home." 

  
  


Back in the apartment that Misato had called home Kaji, Ritsuko and Pen-Pen were proceeding to get throughly and morosely drunk, since as Kaji put it "She wouldn't want it to go to waste." As they consumed more and more of the beer stockpile Kaji and Ritsuko began to reminisce about their college days together with Misato. They both took little heed to the fact that neither of the Children had been seen outside of their rooms, although they probably should have. Since Misato's death both had been placed on a constant suicide watch by Commander Ikari's orders. 

  
  
  
  


Sitting in her room Asuka was currently engaged in looking at the floor. She'd stripped off the black veil she'd worn with her dress, but not the dress itself. She was too caught up in her own thoughts to care about what was occurring outside the sanctuary of her room. Most of her thoughts centered around Misato and how is wasn't fair for her to be gone. A few however concerned her roommate and fellow pilot. She'd _never_ seen Shinji act so...... so much like his father. It had disturbed her. Shinji was one of the most emotional people she'd ever met, yet he'd just sat there just blinking and staring. She knew that he cared about Misato, then why hadn't he cried. "Maybe I'll go check on him." she whispered as she tiptoed out of her room and up to his. 

  
  


Looking at the sign on the door she nearly broke down. The simple piece of framed cardboard said "Shinji's Lovely Suite". Misato had put it there as a joke, but he'd never taken it down. Cracking the door, she felt her heart stop in her chest. Shinji was standing on his bed, his suit jacket looped around the ceiling light, the other end tied in a crude knot around his neck. Bolting over she pulled the coat off of the boy and shoved him down to his bed. "What the hell do you think your doing Shinji?!?!!?" Seeming to shrink back into his bed Shinji had to swallow a few times before he said anything. "It... Its my fault....that...that Misato....." he didn't finish the sentence as more tears streaked down his cheeks. Asuka sat back on her heels not knowing exactly what to say. 

  
  


Now she knew why Shinji hadn't cried, he'd been so busy blaming himself that he couldn't. Still she could see where he was coming from. The last Angel that had attacked them hadn't looked overtly threatening. It had the shape of a delta arrowhead. It hadn't been weak though. Its AT Field had been very powerful and it was capable of tremendous speed, using its own body as a weapon ramming the razor sharp point into whatever it chose. This Angel also had an unfair advantage, its AT Field somehow interrupted any and all communications. That had put them at a disadvantage from the start. Misato had somehow got the idea that if personnel were stationed outside of the Geofront with shortwave radios they'd have a fighting chance. 

  
  


It had worked too, until Misato had started talking to Shinji. The Angel had chosen that moment to attack again. It had rammed Eva-01 head on, knocking it straight into an apartment complex. 

Sections of that complex had fallen on and crushed Misato. 

  
  


For a few seconds nothing had been heard but Shinji's breathing. Then he cried out Misato's name several times. He stopped when he'd seen a hand and a piece of her trademark red bomber jacket sticking out from under a concrete slab. All that had been heard was a piercing, heart-rending scream. Eva-01 hd shot up from the ground, its eyes glowing with unholy fire. Shinji had screamed at the Angel yelling for it to die over and over again. Then he caught it as it tried to ram him again. Pinning it down with one foot he'd rammed his fist down into the Angel tearing its flesh and rending it asunder. When he found the core Eva-01 hoisted the Angel up and impaled it on its Progressive Knife. 

  
  


As she blinked Asuka wrapped her arms around the convulsing boy. "It wasn't your fault Shinji, it was the Angel." The top of his dark head shook several times. "No, if she hadn't been distracted talking to me she might have moved and then......." The boy went back to sobbing. _"That didn't work, I'll have to try something else."_ Shoving the boy away from her Asuka forced him to look her in the face. "So, you think because Misato died that its your fault. Then what is killing yourself going to do. It won't bring her back Shinji." Taken back be her vehement tone Shinji tired to look away, but she didn't let him. "Don't you ever, and I mean EVER try something like that again, do you hear me. I've already lost part of my family, I... I don't want to lose the other." Again there was a vehemence to her tone, but the last part had shocked Shinji. He looked up and saw that there were tears in Asuka's eyes. Wrapping his arms around the German girl her felt her cry into his shoulder. Choking up himself Shinji whispered. "I don't want to lose you either." 

  
  


As they both sat there holding each other each Child found something new in the other. Asuka found in Shinji a strength she never knew he had, and Shinji found the soft side he'd suspected Asuka had. They stayed that way for over an hour crying out their sorrow to each other, since they knew that they could now depend on each other. 

  
  
  
  


The End. 

  
  
  
  


Author's Notes: Well, that's my first darkfic since "Dreams of Reality." What do yuo think. Does it work, doesn't it. I NEED TO KNOW!!!!! O_x 

  
  


Epyon Zero 


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